SNAPSHOT: Cecilia Oscarsson

Reflections

“I grew up with the Södra HQ on my doorstep. I knew the company had a great reputation as an employer with a high retention record, and I always thought it would be good to work here one day. So when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it with both hands! 

“I expected a warm welcome after the positive experiences I’ve heard from others, but the care and attention given to my introduction so far have surpassed my expectations. My sole focus for the first few months is to understand the business and get to know the teams, processes and customer needs.

“Pulp is new for me, but I’m a chemical engineer and have worked with industries including food, effluent and emissions treatment and energy, so process systems are very familiar. I have never worked in this industry before, although I have visited a paper mill, but there are numerous cross-overs such as recovery islands, for example. Hopefully my experience will be put to good use for our customers working with product and process improvements as well as energy optimization and climate actions within  Science-Based Targets.

“With previous roles including Manager and Project Manager, I like the client-facing aspect of the job and I’m looking forward to travelling to our customers’ sites to see where we can really add value.

“After six years in the food industry mainly with oat drinks (at Fazer then Oatly), I thought I had seen the last of oats for a while - until I discovered Södra’s Spira pulp, which combines oat husk residues with cellulose – so it seems not!

“In fact, the breadth of Södra’s portfolio has been one of the most surprising aspects of entering the forest industry. I’ve always loved the forest as a place of recreation and relaxation, but didn’t realise so many sustainable products could be generated from trees! It’s both impressive and heartening. I’m excited to be here.”